Tracking or monitoring

Flexible activity

Evidence Review:

Youth socioemotional wellbeing: Evidence review

Core Component:

Building motivation and monitoring behavioural change

Tracking or monitoring behavioural or attitudinal shifts is a key way for program facilitators to check-in with, and keep track of, the progress of program participants. In this activity, program participants are tasked with keeping a diary or log of their performance and progress towards program goals. This diary or log is then submitted to program facilitators for review. Alternatively, program facilitators can measure behavioural shifts in program participants at particular times throughout the duration of the program.

Tracking and monitoring can offer vital, real-time information about the progress of participants towards behavioural or attitudinal shifts, or program goals. Where delivered via diarised logs completed by program participants, it can also offer participants an outlet for self-reflection and self-assessment. This can reinforce behavioural changes and motivate participants to continue with the assigned activity or behaviour.

How can it be implemented?

Tracking or monitoring can be delivered in a number of ways.

Assessment by program facilitator:

Program facilitators can meet with the participants in a series of one-on-one sessions scheduled throughout the duration of the program to measure their performance in light of program goals.
Alternatively, program facilitators can remotely assess participants’ progress via questionnaires delivered online, via text or phone.

Diarised logs:

Program participants can be tasked with keeping a log of designated behaviours, attitudes or activities.
This log is then submitted to program facilitators for review.

Who is the target group?

This flexible activity has been implemented with a number of different target groups. Key characteristics include:

Young adults aged 18-24 attending adult education centres
18-19 year old college students
School students aged 9-12 attending schools that serve primarily racial and ethnic minority students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds

What programs conduct this activity?

In No program name: web-based tailored intervention for reducing cannabis use, program facilitators remotely measured behaviour and attitudinal changes twice throughout the program via an online web platform.
In Just Breathe, participants tracked and submitted logs of their mindfulness practice each week. These logs were tailored to session content.
In Resilience Builder Program, the young people were tasked with keeping a ‘success journal’ that described their efforts to use the skills learned during the program sessions.

What else should I consider?

If online or video interventions are going to be implemented, service providers and participants will require access to devices and/or software to view and engage with the content.